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November/December 2006
We have been proud to make the
following announcements from the Mayor's Office in the
last months of 2006.
- Holiday shopper traffic relief initiative
unveiled: To ease tension and eliminate the
delay of driving on gridlocked streets during the busy
holiday season, the Mayor unveiled the holiday shopper
traffic relief initiative, deploying 77 traffic control
officers at 55 of the most heavily congested intersections
around the busiest shopping centers and plazas across the
City. The traffic relief initiative will continue
until December 24th.
- Water released into Lower Owens
River: The Mayor joined Inyo County
officials to release water once again into the Lower Owens
River from the L.A. Aqueduct. The water fills 62 miles
of riverbed that had been dry for almost a century and
will create hundreds of acres of wetland habitat and
off-river lakes.
- $65 million invested in workforce
housing: Three of the largest City and County
employee pension funds invested $65 million to
create 2,250 housing units for L.A.'s middle-income
families. The investment will also generate
$1.3 million in property taxes and 3,750 construction jobs
that will benefit Angelenos.
- $15 million invested in South Los
Angeles: The Mayor announced an investment of
over $15 million in South Los Angeles, bringing retail,
living-wage jobs and affordable housing for families and
senior citizens to this much-neglected part of the
City.
- Living wage ordinance
signed: The Mayor signed a trio of
Century Corridor hotel living-wage ordinances into
law. Under the newly signed ordinances, service
workers for LAX-area hotels will earn a living
wage, receive job security during transitions
in management, and earn service charges and
gratutities collected for the services they
perform.
- 4,500 volunteers
attend Watts Day of Service: Volunteers
across the City served Los Angeles by participating in
60 beautification and improvement projects
in Watts. The day was a great example of what can
be accomplished if everyone pitches in to help fellow
Angelenos, one community at a time.
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Keep OurLA Green
Water flows again into Lower
Owens River
The Mayor and Inyo County
officials made history when they released the first flow of
water into the Lower Owens River since the City of Los Angeles
began diverting water from it nearly a century ago.
The
Lower Owens River Project (LORP), a cooperative effort of the
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the
County of Inyo, will provide a steady flow of water to 62
miles of the Owens River below the Los Angeles Aqueduct
where the river has been essentially dry since the Aqueduct
opened in 1913.
From the Aqueduct Intake, water
will be released through automated gates, and follow its
natural route down to the Delta of Owens Lake just south of
Lone Pine. Additional water will spread into basins at
Blackrock and the Owens Lake Delta to create hundreds of acres
of wetland habitat and off-river lakes and ponds for
waterfowl, shore birds and fisheries.
For the complete
press release, click here.
Keep
OurLA Safe
Be Prepared for an
Emergency
December is Preparedness Awareness
Month. While picking up those last
minute gifts and celebrating the holidays with loved
ones, think about how your family can be better prepared
for an emergency. Be sure to take the necessary
precautions to ensure your family's safety:
1. Put an
emergency kit in your car.
2. Have a portable radio with
extra batteries.
3. Make a first aid kid for the
home.
4. Buy extra batteries.
5. Update
out-of-state emergency contacts.
6. Buy a box of
disposable gloves for your emergency kit.
7. Make a pet
disaster kit.
8. Winterize your car.
9. Visit
your neighbors. Share phone numbers.
10. Hold an
emergency evacuation drill with your family at night.
11.
Buy extra flashlights and give them to your child's
teacher.
12. Sign up for CERT training.
13. Add a
blanket to the trunk of your car.
14. Put a sturdy
pair of shoes, flashlight, and batteries in a plastic bag
under the bed.
15. Test your smoke alarms.
To take
online emergency preparedness courses, visit http://www.fema.gov/.
OurLA ...
Featuring
New
Funding Expands After School and Outdoor
Education
The Mayor announced funding to expand educational
opportunities for children beyond the traditional classroom
and school day.
He announced $1 million in new funding
from the Verizon Foundation to expand LA's BEST, the
nationally-recognized after-school education, enrichment and
recreation program that serves 25,000 of L.A.'s children with
the greatest needs and fewest resources. The program is
a key component of the Mayor's Community Partnership for
School Excellence.
He also announced $1 million to fund
expansion and renovation of the Point Fermin Outdoor Education
Center for LAUSD students located in San Pedro
and UniCamp, a summer camp for children of low-income
families run by UCLA in the San Bernardino
Mountains. |
What OurLA
is thinking...
In
preparation for Emergency Preparedness Awareness Month, OurLA
readers were asked a few questions. Correct
answers are below.
1. What is the leading cause of home fires in the
U.S.? Cooking.
2. During an
earthquake, which location poses the greatest danger?
Directly outside buildings, at exits and along
exterior walls, due to falling debris.
3. If you
are involved in a minor car accident, what should you NOT
do? Discuss what happened with those involved
in the accident before police arrive.
4. Which is
an effective way to cope with extreme heat?
Stay inside during hottest time of the day, avoid
strenuous outdoor activity, drink plenty of water, limit
alcohol intake, and never leave children or pets alone in a
closed vehicle.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
is January 15th. Test your knowledge of the holiday
by clicking here.
It's
OurLA
Looking for a way to make your mark in
OurLA? Start today by participating in one of
the ways below.
Become a Mentor!
Studies have shown that students with mentors are 70%
more likely to graduate from high school. 90% of these
graduates go on to college. Make a difference by
going to connectinglosangeles.com.
Volunteer for the City's
Crisis Response Team! Contact Jeff Zimerman at
213-978-0697 or send an email.
Bilingual speakers who speak Korean or Spanish greatly
needed.
OurLA
Events
We hope you check out these events in OurLA.
47th Annual Los Angeles County
Holiday Celebration: "Choirs, Music and Dance
Companies"
Sun, Dec 24, 3 – 9 pm
Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion
135 North Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
90012
For more information, call (213) 972-3099.
LADWP Holiday Light
Festival
Through Dec 30, 5 -10 pm
Griffith Park
Crystal Springs Drive
Los Angeles, CA
90027
For more information, please call (323) 913-4688,
ext. 9.
LA Downtown on
Ice
Through Jan 15
Pershing Square
532 South
Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
For more information,
call (213) 847-4970.
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